Ashes
by HostileIntrovert
Summary: Sasuke has returned to Konoha with the sole purpose of defeating his brother. The Akatsuki however have other plans. With Sakura as their captive, Konoha are forced to take cautious steps, and can Sasuke be trusted? ItaxSaku minor SasuxSaku but not the ultimate pairing.
1. Embark

Sunlight beamed in through the window, creating heat rays over the comforter of the young woman's bed. She lie there, in peaceful slumber, her rosette strands sprawled out amongst the pillow tops, and over her shoulder only slightly. Her body was neatly tucked into itself, with one hand palm up next to her head. A soft groan rasped through her vocal chords as a ray of sunshine grazed over the closed lids of her sea foam eyes.

She blinked twice, bringing her nimble wrists up to shield her eyes from the unwelcomed light. She rolled over, a sigh emitting from the depths of her lungs. The young kunoichi sat up, looking back to the window, her eyes landing on a crow that seemed to flit graciously across the bright blue sky.

"At least its nice out today," She commented aloud. There was no one around, there hadn't been for quite some time. And it comforted Sakura to hear some sort of voice, even if it was just her own. Over time she had grown accustomed to the quietness that reverberated through out the plain walls of her apartment.

The girl untangled her limbs from the blankets she was currently draped under, twitching slightly as her bare feet met with the cold, hard wood floor. Sakura readied herself, having showered the night before, tying her proctor to its usual place atop her cranium, and slipping into her not-quite knee high boots. With the lick of a lock behind her and a medium sized tan backpack placed upon her shoulders, she quietly made her way to the village gates, hoping she wasn't the first one there.

Though it wasn't uncommon.

Sakura began to think, on her little trek alone. About how far she had come as an individual, and more importantly, how far Naruto had come as well. There was a portion of their lives that was spent apart. Since their genine years… Sakura had become the 5ths prized pupil and Head at the villages hospital. Not only that, but she had ranked up to jounin and was given an offer to join the ANBU corps as one of their lead medics for a squad. While she was incredibly flattered, she had turned the offer down, at least for the time being, for reasons like wanting to continue learning all she could in the medical field. For so long she trained herself to become such a kunoichi that she was no longer under estimated, and that she was no longer a burden.

And Naruto had matured, and grown. Training under Jiraiya for three years and coaching the village genine once he returned, when he wasn't on missions of course, had really set the boy straight. He was determined, and strong-willed. Sakura shifted her gaze, remembering his promise to bring their beloved Sasuke back to the village. There wasn't a day that passed where she ever recalled losing faith in him. And there wasn't a day that he quit.

In the end however, it was Sasuke that surprised them all.

Despite his best efforts to stay away from all things leaf in the previous 4 years, the boy had ultimately returned on his own accord. At that point in time, he was a missing nin, and his past relationship as team seven and their efforts to bring him home, meant nothing and he would be treated as such. Sasuke was confined, questioned, and punished for the trouble he had caused, and he had taken every bit of it in stride and respect.

Now, he roamed the village as a citizen and shinobi. Tsunade would have been a fool to disallow him to fight for their village. He was a valuable asset that no other village had. His reasons for returning, you may wonder? Sasuke was no idiot.

To fulfill his revenge, he would need to put an end to Itachi Uchihas life. Plain and simple. Itachi however, just so happened to have been given the task to retrieve Sasukes former teammate and friend. The younger Uchiha figured he would have a better chance of running into his tormentor this way, rather than searching for him on his own.

Though Sasuke had made one thing extremely clear, and no one ever bothered to argue him on this matter: If they did happen to run into Itachi out on a mission, no one was to lay a hand on him, unless otherwise attacked. He wanted nothing more than to watch his brothers blood spill from every opening in his body, and grant him the most painful death he was able.

That was his dream. And though slightly morbid, who was to keep him from it? Surly not his _friends_.

Sakura sighed, recalling these things, but another's presence pulled her from her thoughts. And if it wasn't the Uchiha himself. She paused mid step, having hardly noticed his still figure. He was leaned up against the village gates, his arms crossed over his chest, and his head angled towards the ground. From here, Sakura could tell that his eyes were closed, though with deeper analyzing she knew he wasn't sleeping.

His hair had fallen over his face, almost concealing his features. He was handsome and she knew it.

Though her feelings for the ninja before had long since dwindled out.

She hadn't realized that he was now looking up to meet her observing gaze. He let out a deep breath, his own pupils flashing between hers before his deep, velvet voice broke their silence, "Sakura."

The kunoichi had almost forgotten that this was his first official mission since his return, "Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

She offered a soft smile and the slightest of waves as she stepped closer. Silently she wondered if he was excited to be on a team again, with the original members of team seven no less. There was a lot she wanted to ask him, and he could feel it. But after her soft reply the conversation ended and they were surrounded by the melody of dawn once again.

She scuffed the dirt beneath her toes, swaying slightly as to avoid standing there awkwardly. Time passed and slowly more squad members filed in, until all 5 were present. Team seven plus one; Shikamaru.

"Alright," Kakashi started, "The Lord Kazekage has requested aid in their village. "He paused, scanning the familiar faces, "This is an 8 day mission, any longer and another squad will be sent to retrieve us…understood?"

They all nodded, more than ready to get on the road. They all knew the majority of the time they would be traveling. While Sand wasn't all that far, it was indeed, far enough. Not to mention they would be passing awfully close to sound on their way there and back.

Without another word, Kakashi began to walk away from the gates of Konoha, the others falling in step behind him.


	2. Under the Stars

The sun had risen and come to rest in the horizon. The entourage had been traveling most of the day with very few breaks, until they had finally stopped for the night. Kakashi had long since delegated tasks to the crew, sending Naruto for sticks for a fire, and Shikamaru and Sasuke to scout the area. Sakura and the Silver haired man were left to unpack their belongings, setting up the sleeping mats under the trees.

As Sakura had finished unrolling the final blanket, Naruto appeared through the darkness of the forest carrying large sticks in his arms. Sakura greeted him with a smile, and in return he tossed her his traditional goofy grin.

"Think this is enough fire wood, Kakashi-sensei?" He teased. Really he had stocked enough to last us a couple nights. And seeing as how they would only be here for a couple hours, it was plenty.

Kakashi chuckled, shifting some of the branches into a small, organized pile.

Sakura stopped herself from adding a sassy remark as Sasuke and Shikamaru returned. The two seemed awkward with one another, and it was entirely possible that Shikamaru, despite all of his willing efforts to being Sasuke back to the village previously, didn't particularly care for the Uchiha. With all of the trouble the boy had caused, and his arrogant personality that was undoubtedly still present in him somewhere, it was understandable.

"The forest is clear, not another living creature within a 4 mile radius," Sasuke inquired smoothly. Shikamaru nodded simply, "I attempted to catch us some dinner but…" His voice trailed off and Naruto cut in, "But you were too lazy."

Shikamaru groaned, too tired to come up with a retort to Narutos jokes. That earned a chuckle from Sakura. If Kakashi was smiling you couldn't really tell. Sasukes face remained that of stone. Silently he made his way over to the pile of branches, performing fast movements of his hands before parting his lips. A flame erupted from between his teeth and over into the wood. An inferno danced behind his eyes, and you could see the deep brown that was usually hidden.

Sakura turned away, enjoying the emitting heat. Silence filled their make shift campsite as everyone settled in. Eyes shifted towards the flames, sleepiness apparent in their features. Kakashi cleared his throat, "Sasuke, you take first watch."

Everyone was clear of his motives. It was Sasukes first mission since he had returned to Konoha, and the copy-nin was no doubt trying to establish some form of trust, whether it was for Sasukes sake or his own. There needed to be a foundation of trust there somewhere.

But the raven haired boy simply nodded, taking his position against the trunk of a nearby tree, as Shikamaru sighed in relief, happily accepting the sleep as he crawled atop his bedding. Naruto and Kakashi fallowed soon behind. Sakura sat up for a bit, her eyes flashing from the fires core to Sasukes face.

He had been back in the village for no more than 3 months. And since his return she had done almost nothing but observe him. He was the same yet very different. He came off as that same old arrogant, strong, and even cool teammate she remembered him as.

But underneath all that… He had seen things and done things. Things that he would probably never speak about. Sakura knew just by looking at him that he was not her Sasuke from 5 years ago. And ultimately that's what made her realize how naive she had been all those years ago.

He would never love her as she had loved him.

His stone voice pulled her from her thoughts, and Sakura had a rough time trying to figure out if he had been staring at her or not. The darkness almost completely concealed his face, save for the small orange glow form the fire. "Sakura, you should get some sleep."

She froze up. Those 5, simple words were enough to tell her that he cared for her well-being. Or at least the well being of their team.

She remained silent, staring a moment longer before tucking her limbs underneath the blanket and rolling onto her side. She faced away from the flames, her eyes staring almost blankly into the forest around them. Her thoughts almost always consumed her.

It was the cause of many, _many_ sleepless nights.

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A/N: Alright, I realize this chapter is mega short... which is why Ive taken the time to write up chapter three along with it and publish both at the same time. ^^ Im not sure how many people are even reading my story, but I will continue to write it until its complete. I hope you enjoy~


	3. Comrade

Sakura sat up with a start, her heart thudding in her chest. Her hand was placed over the beating, gripping the fabric of her shirt with a clenched, unyielding grip. Her breath came out ragged, and her eyes remained wide open, unblinking as she stared at her lap. A nightmare.

She shuttered, letting out a deep exhale as she brought her other palm to her forehead, wiping the sheen of sweat from beneath her bangs. It wasn't until she removed her hand from her vision that she noticed something was off.

The fire had dwindled out, leaving nothing but the dying embers in the dirt. She had half expected Sasuke to keep it lit… but..

Alarm slammed its fist into her lungs as she shot out from her blanket and onto her feet.

Sasuke was gone.

Her sea foam eyes darted around the camp, her teeth clenching and her brows furrowing. Before her mind could logically assess the situation, she found her feet zipping along the earth's surface. She had no idea how far away from camp she had gone or which direction she had charged in, and in the off chance Sasuke was kidnapped and that he didn't…

No, she wasn't going to lose her friend again. He wouldn't leave them again… would he?

She inhaled; ready to leap into the treetops for a better view before a heavy palm snaked around her waist, another cupping her mouth to block any noise that would escape.

Her shrieking was muffled, and immediately her hands began to work, forming fast signals before bright green chakra surrounded her fists. She reeled her arm back ready to make contact with her attackers side.

"Sakura!"

The kunoichi halted her movements. Almost froze instantly. Sasukes voice drifted into her ears, hushed and cautious. He was her attacker. What if she had hit him? She felt his hand leave her mouth, and the warmth of his palm leave her stomach as she whirled around to face him, confusion and concern apparent on her face, as the chakra in her palm decimated. She opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed his fingers to her lips, stopping her string of questions. She could see the crimson swirl of his Sharingan.

"Keep quiet. We've got company."

It was only then that Sakura noticed the slight tremble in his voice. It hardly wavered. But it wasn't a tremble of fear present in his tone…. It was the oncoming rage. His lips seemed to quiver, biting is tongue with clenched teeth. As if he was biting back his anger.

That could only mean one thing.

Her slender fingers nabbed the kunai from her back pouch as he removed his digit from her lips. Her face changed, twisting from confused to stone in a millisecond. And three simple words fell from her lips.

"Where is he?"

When Sasuke had returned to the Leaf expecting to run into his brother, no one could predict how soon. When he returned to the Leaf, he made it very clear what his intentions were, and he would stay true to his revenge.

Sakura was afraid of what Sasuke would become in the presence of his elder brother. She had seen Itachi all of three times. And both of those times he attacked her comrades. This man has broken bonds and changed lives. Sasuke and Naruto will never be the same because of this man.

He had taken everything from them.

Sasuke stared at the rosette kunoichi, glaring through her, "Go back to the others, it will be safe there."

She raised an eyebrow, "Are you crazy? I'm a medic, what if you need me?"

"I _don't need you_ , Sakura." His words sliced gashes through her heart, "Stay out of my way and do as I tell you. Go back to the camp."

Her grip tightened around her weapon. With his absence from Konoha he was unaware of Sakuras new found fury, courtesy of the 5th herself.

Or her strength.

Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer to him, her voice low and dangerous, "You do not run this team, I will not be ordered around," She crossed her arms, kunai still in hand, "And though you may think otherwise, I am _not_ the weak genine you knew 5 years ago, Sasuke Uchiha, and you aren't allowed to underestimate me. I will not let you go alone."

' _We just got you back_ ,' She thought, ' _We aren't ready to lose you again…_ '

Deep down Sakura knew the right thing to do would be to get Kakashi and the others. But she would never be able to live with herself if something vital happened to him and she was not there to change the outcome.

He held her stare before he sighed, his features softening. She knew he wasn't trying to be cruel. Underneath his stoic surface, there was care. He knew he wasn't going to win this argument, no matter how menacing he looked. "Fine. But I—"

"Well this is certainly interesting…"

Coral and Ebony heads whipped around, both figures pulling their weapons, poised for attack. A large male stood before them, a bandage wrapped sword resting just over his shoulder and a cocky smirk smeared across his blue lips. The two of them were familiar with the Akatsuki member, Kisame Hoshigaki.

The mans lips curled back, revealing his sharpened, shark like teeth, "If it isn't the Uchiha brat…" He paused, turning his gaze to Sakura, "And the 5ths lap dog."

Sakura smirked. Word had traveled across the country of her strength. People called her many things; Lap Dog was a new one.

Suddenly the trio was met with another figure. Long black hair was shielded from the wind by a wide, straw hat but there was no mistaking those eyes. Even in the dark, they glowed with a ferocity unimaginable by those without the bloodline. Itachi Uchiha stood silently beside Kisame, no emotions present on his face. A long, heavy silence build between the facing pairs, uncomfortable tension making Sakura feel uneasy.

"It's been a while… Sasuke."

If Sakura recalled correctly, Sasukes last meeting with his brother was in the hospital, 5 years ago. The encounter hadn't gone well, leaving Sasuke with several broken bones, a mere inch form death. Her raven-haired comrade visibly stiffened, his own Sharingan spinning furiously but still he remained quiet.

Sasuke removed his katana from its sheath gently, the sound of its might scraping against the shaft. He held it forward, directly in line with Itachis heart, "I will kill you."

A deep chuckle could be heard from Kisame as he pulled his own sword, slamming its tip into the dirt. Slowly his eyes dragged over the kunoichis figure before landing on her face. His fist shifted on the hilt of his Samehada, as if taunting her with his bloodlust.

"I would expect nothing less, brother—"

Immediately Sasuke was mere inches from Itachi, his sword clashing with the elder's kunai. Their irises cranked like loose gears, spinning every which way as their genjutsus clashed. Sakuras attention was ripped away from the two however as Kisame lunged his massive sword at her. "You might want to focus on me, Girl."

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A/N: Like I promised, here is chapter three ^^ Ive been working very hard on chapter 4 and If you have any suggestions of what you would like to see happen just send me a PM or a review and I will take it into high consideration!


	4. Engage

The rosette kunoichi flipped backwards, dodging yet another blow from the Samehada. The first few times she had not been so lucky. The blade had shredded her side, through the clothing. The darkness of the night had concealed her wound, and her only gage of the damage he had caused her was the amount of blood loss.

The second time he had flayed her calf. Now, not only did his blow to her side make it difficult for her to breath, but also it was now a lot more difficult for her to dodge him. And even as she moved away, pain shot up her limbs. To add to that, the Samehada had drained her of a large portion of her chakra.

Sakura grit her teeth. At this point she would have to choose to heal herself with what remaining chakra she had, or try to get the upper hand. Her eyes darted to the Uchihas, seeing that Sasuke wasn't fairing much better.

The two seemed to be in a deadlock, though Sasuke was putting all he had into the battle… Itachi looked as if he was holding back. She would expect nothing less of an Akatsuki member.. And mass-murderer at that.

Kisame came at her again, "Didn't I tell you Kunoichi?" He aimed a fist at her stomach, "Eyes on me."

Sakura flashed away, her figure appearing above him as her fist glowed with a green hue. She pulled her arm back, a smirk appearing on her lips as she dove down. She expected him to dodge her attack, but as the force of her fist raked the earth with its power, it began to crack.

Chunks of rock flew every which way, forcing Itachi to jump back as a large bit flew past where he once stood. Sasuke slumped foreword, catching his breath as he prepared another attack. Sakura hissed, bringing her palm to sooth the pain in her side. ' _Damn it…_ '

"Impatient as always, hn.." Itachis voice was suddenly in her ear. She whirled around to see him right behind her, so close that she could feel his breath upon the back of her neck, "But we've not come for meaningless battle."

Sakura tried to scramble away, and she thought she was going to make it, until Itachi placed his shoe where her wound was on her leg. He pressed down, forcing a scream from her throat and pushing her to the ground. Blood gushed mercilessly from the open gash.

As a last ditch attempt to save herself, Sakura gathered chakra to the tips of her fingers and drove them into the mans leg. He was hardly fazed however and the kunoichis heart sank. She had successfully ripped several tendons in his ankle and he didn't even flinch.

She looked up at him, horrified. And he was looking down at her, his expression completely void of emotions. But his Sharingan was swirling, and in an instant she felt her eyelids getting heavier. She groaned. ' _How could I be so stupid…_ ' She faintly heard Sasuke calling her name and the ground move beneath her before she fell unconscious.

"Don't you lay a hand on her-Chidori!"

Itachi tossed the rosette kunoichi to his partner, her petite body flying effortlessly into Kisames arms. The elder Uchiha caught Sasukes fist in his palm, the ball of lightning decimating as he did. Lightning began to surround the two as Sasukes rage flared.

Crows began to pull themselves from Itachis figure until there was almost nothing of him left. "Tell the Jinjuriki we will be waiting."

"Your not going anywhere!" Sasukes lunged his sword through one of the filthy birds, cutting straight through it and towards Kisame. The large man grinned, shifting the girl over his shoulder before he vanished. Sasukes sword pierced the tree before him, spreading lightning through its trunk until it was burnt to a crisp. Had Sakura been caught in that she wouldn't have faired too well.

The raven-haired boy clenched his fists, glaring at nothing in particular. His fist made explosive contact the same tree his sword had disintegrated previously. The trunk completely shattered, charred wood flying past him, some nicking his flesh on its way by.

He fell, his knees colliding with the thick green crass. He was angry at himself. He thought he was ready to take on his brother. But he had failed, but that wasn't the only reason he was chafed.

Sakura was put in harms way. Yet another person he could not save form Itachis wrath. And now she was gone, left in his hands. She was wounded, and weak, and he could do away with her whenever he pleased.

To Itachi, she must have seemed like a mere ant.

The muffled shuffle of charging feet drifted into Sasukes ears. He didn't have to look up to know it was the rest of their squad. Kakashi knew something was off and not just by reading Sasukes expression, which ad fallen from anger to defeat. He looked exhausted. But by the scene before him... There were holes of earth, nearby trees were shattered to bits… and there was blood.

Naruto ran towards his friend, "Sasuke! What happened?"

When Sasuke didn't respond, Naruto finally paused to look around, noticing yet another thing. It had left an unsettling feeling in his gut. His eyes landed on the blood that had stained the blades of grass. His heart sank.

"Where's Sakura?"

The forest fell silent as the trio waited for his response. Slowly he stood and faced Naruto. His voice was raspy, and angry, and disappointed, and many things all at once.

Since coming back to Konoha, his goals had been shrouded. He still sought revenge and the death of his brother once and for all. But he had started to recover those bonds he had worked so hard to sever. Especially for the original members of Team Kakashi.

His relationship with Sakura shifted as soon as he saw her in the village on that first day. He had noticed her change in attitude. He had noticed she had grown up. When he was released to be a free citizen of The Leaf once again, she offered him a place to stay, as the Uchiha estate had been long since run down.

He had taken her up on her offer, and the lived as roommates for a month. He learned her mannerisms, her emotions, her habits, her feelings. He knew she had matured. And she was no longer the burden of 5 years ago.

So to tell Naruto, the closest person to him… That their comrade and friend was taken by someone who had no quarrels ending ones life based on how he _felt_.. It left him burning inside.

"I'm sorry… They took her."

Naruto stepped back, looking crest fallen, "What are you talking about, Teme? Who took her…Sasuke…?"

There was a long pause. Sasukes crimson hues flashed between the trio, reading each of their expressions until finally resting on Narutos ocean blue ones. He frowned.

"My brother."

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A/N: Alright, Now we get to the good stuff! Unfortunately my updates are going to take a bit longer as I am getting more busy with school but at the most it should only take two weeks per update!


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